featherboards

[bigcreekdad]

Does anyone use a feather board for their mini table saws? If so, any specific recommendations.

 

I watched some videos on You Tube showing kickbacks that has given me a heightened awareness of saw safety.

[robbl]

I often use the featherboards from Micro mark on my Proxxon FET when ripping along the fence. Those small pieces of wood travel fast and far sometimes, and the first time one hit me in the stomach was the last time I stood behind the saw.

 

It also stops me pushing my luck holding the wood down with my fingers close to the blade.

 

the featherboard attached to the fence works well, the one that sits on the table holding the piece horizontally works ok but I hardly ever use it.

 

Cheers

Rob

[robbl]

Crackers, I use full size push sticks and hold downs where I can, or the featherboards. I had one look at that "spinning wheel of amputation" on the table saw and decided my fingers didn't belong near it. Mind you, none of these power tools (even mini ones) are fool proof - I managed to sand my knuckles on my disc sander once trying to get that extra .1mm .....  Apart from that, the featherboard can keep everything in a nice alignment for a good clean rip because you're not having to keep moving your fingers out of the way of the "cutting thing".

 

There are some times when I will rip without a push stick however. If I'm ripping 1mm or less, say, and the board is a few cm wide, then I might just push the board with my fingers until the board is too narrow and they get "too close"

At the point of "too close" , then a rip of half the length, flip the piece and rip the other half to finish the cut keeps the fingers well away from the blade.

 

Regardless of all the scars I have from years of modelling knives (cut away from the thumb... pffft........ouch), I am frightened of any powered blade ever since the time a dremel cutting blade shattered and a piece embeded itself in the wall just beside my head.

 

Cheers

Rob (not the best OSH* spokesman)

* Occupational Health and Safety